Hunger
by MrsShooty
Summary: OK. Hands up who was mildly peeved (mistress of understatement here!) with Ms JP for allowing the feeding scene between Hayley and Elijah to be cut from the finale! I was, to put it mildly, so here we have my version of it. Rated M for one drop of the f-bomb. No smut - not even my muse could find an appropriate place for it here!


**Hunger**

**A/N: I never was a very patient person and I'm just not prepared to wait for the DVD box set to see Hayley drinking from Elijah *swoon* so here's my version! As ever, I do not own any of the characters or much of the plot for this bit actually! Just the words are mine…**

Hayley tried to ignore the hot tears that coursed down her face. Her throat felt tight, her eyes tired. Hope had been gone for five hours and for five hours she had been sat on the floor in the same place. Sat in the nursery that had been built for her little girl, but would likely never see its intended occupant.

She had stayed in the nursery when Elijah had taken Hope to Klaus to be spirited away. She had given Hope just one kiss; a kiss that had in turn sealed her fate as a hybrid. It was not lost on Hayley that even has she had given her child life so her child had granted that same gift to her. She had not been able to bring herself to hand the baby to Klaus. Instead, she had entrusted Hope to Elijah's tender care and he had borne her out of the nursery and into the night where Klaus was waiting. Hayley had strayed no further than the window, looking out as the taillights of the car had disappeared into the darkness. She had moved then, sliding down the wall to sit, despair washing over her.

Elijah had returned of course, wanting to comfort her, but she deserved no comfort so she had sent him away. Then there was just her. She sat in the gloom, trying to ignore all the sounds around her, sounds that only the day before would have been indiscernible. Now the vampire half of her gave her abilities that she hadn't even begun to explore. She would have given them all up to feel the warmth of her baby in her arms. She felt herself shiver and wrapped her arms around herself. She was shaking, but she didn't feel cold.

Suddenly Hayley felt a stabbing pain in her jaw and she clenched her teeth tight against it. The waves of pain radiated outwards towards her eyes and she gasped, hunching over. The pain seemed never ending. It was different to the pain she felt when she turned. There were no bones breaking. Instead it radiated inside her head. She heard pounding, nothing but pounding. The rhythm resonated through her entire body. She turned herself onto her hands and knees under the window, digging her finger nails into the carpet.

The pain in her jaw began to subside, even as the pounding in her head intensified. She felt powerful yet at the same time weak, so weak. She urged to tear, to rip, to damage and yet could barely lift her head from the floor. She heard a keening cry, an animalistic sound and was startled to realise that it had come from her own throat. The shaking started up again, so strong that she could only lie on the floor of the nursery and allow her body to spasm her to near unconsciousness.

Hayley was hardly aware of the nursery door slamming back against the wall as Elijah thundered into the room a panicked look on his face. He rushed to her, falling to his knees at her side and gathering her up into his arms.

"Shhhh. Hayley. You're alright. Everything will be fine. Shhhhhhhh." Elijah's litany of comfort echoed through her and she clung to him, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

"Take me out of here," her voice was croaky. Rusty. Strong arms lifted her and bore her gently out of a room that had promised so much joy yet delivered so much pain.

Back in her bedroom Elijah lowered her carefully to her feet at the foot of her bed, his hands cupping her elbows to hold her steady. Her legs wobbled but held and she lifted her head and opened her eyes.

Her head swam with the ceaseless pounding that continued unabated through her. She saw the concern in Elijah's face and tried to smile. She felt like her face was cracking. Elijah cupped her face, his thumb sweeping an arc over her cheek. She turned her face into his hand, finally seeking solace. Elijah took her face in both hands now and looked down at her intently. She tried to drop her gaze but he was insistent so she met his eyes. A maelstrom of feelings washed over her. She felt like she was drowning in him, yet her skin felt dry and hot. She wanted to sob her heart out but at the same time to rip his clothes off and fuck him where he stood. And all the while the pounding sounded a counterpoint.

Suddenly, she just felt tired, like all her life force had been leeched from her. Her lips felt sore, her mouth dry. All she wanted to do was sleep.

"Tired," she whispered her voice hoarse, "so tired."

Elijah tilted her chin. "That pounding in your head? The lethargy you feel? It is the unfortunate result of your transition, Hayley. You need to eat. You should feed. The drop of blood from Hope? That facilitated your transition, but it was not enough to sustain you. You need blood or you will desiccate." He shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "Here we face somewhat of an issue. I cannot allow you out of the compound to feed. If anyone were to discover that you have become a hybrid…well this city is on a knife edge as it is and such knowledge is likely to cause a descent into chaos. No. I think the best thing for you, for the time being at least, would be to feed from me.

Hayley stared up at him as Elijah inclined his head, exposing his neck. The pounding she heard, no felt, reached crisis point as she focused on the blood that flowed through him. She bent her face to his neck, breathing deeply. She could smell the blood in him, the heavy spicy scent called to her. She nuzzled into him, running her lips over his skin. She heard his sharp intake of breath but paid it no mind, focussing only on her immediate wants, her needs. Parting her lips she felt her double fangs descend and the black veins of her yearning crackle out from her eyes. Yet just as she was about to bite, to sate that hunger that yawed through her, she stopped. Drew back. Her mind screamed at her to consume what was offered to her but she resisted. This was Elijah and she was poison.

"I can't. I won't bite you Elijah. I'm a hybrid. I know my bite won't kill you but don't forget I was there in the bayou and I remember the pain and anguish a hybrid bite brings you. I won't be the cause of that. Not to you."

"It matters not," Elijah asserted. "The wound will be…troublesome, I admit. But only for a day or so. It is a price I am prepared to pay. For you."

"No." Hayley refused. "I won't. If you can't find another way then I won't eat until Klaus returns and we can use his blood to heal you. I need you Elijah. I need you to get me through this. How can you if you are hallucinating smoking hot sex sessions with Celeste again?" She knew she was being cruel, but she had to make him understand that she wouldn't feed from him if it brought him pain.

Elijah let out a soft laugh. "You are right. I would be useless to you if you bit me. Although, if my most recent experience with werewolf toxin is any indication, it will be of you I dream, not Celeste." At Hayley's puzzled look he continued, "While the witches were abducting you, the Guerrera werewolves terrorized everyone in the compound. No-one was safe from their bite, not even me. And although Klaus gave me his blood before the toxin could fully take hold, believe me, all my visions were of you. My mind was consumed with thoughts of you. Hallucinations, memories, dreams and fantasies all merged together. It was…intoxicating. But I agree. That would not be…appropriate in this situation. Well. Maybe we can contrive a different approach. I will bite myself and feed you that way. Would that be agreeable to you?"

Hayley nodded, unable to say a word, so astonished was she by Elijah's frank confession. She didn't know what to think. She watched, transfixed as Elijah removed his suit jacket and laid it on the end of her bed. He rolled up one sleeve of his shirt, revealing his wrist and forearm. His eyes locked with hers as he raised his wrist to his lips and bit down deeply. The blood welled and ran down his arm and her nostrils flared with the rich scent. She watched his tongue flick the droplets of his blood from his lips and she unconsciously mirrored his actions, her own tongue sneaking out to moisten her lips.

"Here. Drink." Elijah brought his wrist to her mouth. She wrapped a hand around his forearm and placed her mouth on the raw wound on the inside of his wrist. She was assailed at once by the thick, pungent taste of Elijah's blood. It flowed over her tongue causing her taste buds to prickle as she sucked at him. She moaned with pleasure as his blood brought her to life. Never had something tasted so delicious. The way he looked, moved, smelled, felt was all condensed into this…essence. It filled her, made her complete. Luminous. Moving her lips from the rapidly healing wound she licked the rivulets that had run down his arm, unable to get enough. His blood left her wanting, craving, even as it sated her hunger.

Reluctantly she withdrew. She felt self-conscious suddenly. The moment had been so intense, so intimate, that she didn't know what to do next. She peeked up at him through her lashes. He stood so still it was like he had been turned to stone, although the black veins retreating from his cheeks showed he was not entirely unaffected. His free hand rested on the bed's foot board, and remained there as he dropped his now healed arm to his side. He remained silent, his face set and his jaw clenched.

"Are you OK?" Hayley asked. "Did I hurt you?"

"Go to bed. You need to sleep. In the morning we'll…talk." Elijah's voice was clipped and strained. He remained in place as Hayley slipped off her cardigan and shoes and crawled, otherwise fully dressed, under the covers. Only then did he move, walking stiffly towards the door. At the room's entrance he turned to her.

"Try to sleep. You will feel better for it."

"You too," Hayley replied. "And thank you."

"I won't sleep, not now," Elijah responded cryptically. "Good night." And with that he left, pulling the door closed firmly behind him.

Hayley looked after him, puzzled. Then her eyes fell on the end of her bed. The footboard, where Elijah's hand had rested was crushed, the imprint of his clenched fist clearly visible in the dark wood. She ran her hand over the splintered mess and smiled. Gathering up the jacket he had left behind she breathed in his scent. Comforted, she lay down with it and slept.


End file.
